


Medal of the Past

by DragonOwls2Rewind



Category: How to Train Your Dragon (Movies)
Genre: Childhood Memories
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-07
Updated: 2020-07-07
Packaged: 2021-03-04 23:21:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,682
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25134535
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DragonOwls2Rewind/pseuds/DragonOwls2Rewind
Summary: Flashback during the ending of Dragons Race To The Edge.Hiccup remembers a time when dragons and vikings were at war, and a friend-turned-foe’s endeavor to help him overcome his fear.
Kudos: 15





	Medal of the Past

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own the How To Train Your Dragon franchise.

_~13 years ago..._

“Roaaar!” 

“Look out!”

“I’ll save you, Astrid-ow!”

“Arrgh! Fear me, dragon!”

From the side of a hill overlooking the village, Hiccup watched Astrid smack Snotlout over the head with the shaft of her wooden ax, then charge between Fishlegs and a masked Tuffnut with a war cry. Tuffnut took a step towards them, then seemed to think better about challenging the young shieldmaiden and ran to join his twin in chasing Snotlout. 

Hiccup hid behind a brazier post as they passed by. His father had shooed him out to play with the other children, but the wooden Terrible Terror masks scared him. Even now, in the late afternoon sunlight, their bulbous yellow eyes seemed to follow him as he dodged behind a house, the silhouette made by their jagged teeth and prominent horns reaching for his own small form. 

As Hiccup stopped to catch his breath, he noticed a sturdy wooden ship moored to Berk’s rickety docks. _Trader Johann? I thought he was going to leave this morning._ Curious, he peeked to make sure the other kids were still preoccupied in fighting the “dragons” before making a dash across the Plaza. Pausing at the edge of the village to make sure he hadn’t been spotted, Hiccup broke into a measured trot as he navigated down the steep slope to the merchant vessel. 

Hiccup paused at the edge of the ramp. Normally, he wasn’t allowed on to the ships without adult supervision from his dad or Gobber. _But what if Trader Johann needs help? What if he got stuck, or lost one of his wares, or a dragon ate him?_ The last one almost made him turn back to the village, but just as he stepped back he heard something crash onboard, followed by a strangled yelp. 

“Trader Johann?” Hiccup called in a quivering voice. There was a pause, then a familiar face peered down from over the railing of the ship. 

“Why, if it isn’t young Master Hiccup! A pleasure as always to see one as spry and lively as yourself visiting a humble merchant. I’m afraid that I’m just wrapping up the last few preparations for departure, but if you’d like there is still time to peruse my vast repertoire of toys and games, fit for a young viking such as yourself.” 

Hiccup grinned up at the witty, if not a little verbose, trader. “It’s okay, Trader Johann! My dad said to go play with Astrid and Snotlout and Ruff and Tuff and Fishlegs while he’s chiefing. But they’re all playing Vikings and Dragons, so I decided to come down here and see you.” 

“Well, I am always happy to have a fine lad such as yourself see me off. But Master Hiccup, why aren’t you playing with them? I always thought you rather fancied yourself as a mighty dragon conqueror?”

Hiccup looked away, embarrassed. “I don’t really like playing Vikings and Dragons. Especially when the twins are the dragons. They like to use dragon masks and sneak up on me.” 

Johann nodded sympathetically. Coming down the ramp, he put a hand on the dejected six-year-old’s shoulder. 

“Aye, I remember those menacing pieces of woodcraft. They were from a country far away, given to me by a elderly chap, _rancid_ breath, that one…” As Johann began to ramble, Hiccup’s attention began to stray. Maybe he should go tell his father that the trader was still there. 

_“Scree-k!”_

Hiccup and Johann started, their heads jerking in the direction of Johann’s vessel. 

“Why, if that isn’t the little rascal who delayed my departure,” Johann exclaimed. “A quick one, that Terror, but not quick enough to-Master Hiccup?”

Hiccup’s heart leaped into his throat. Darting behind the alarmed trader, the boy dove into a nearby rowboat, crouching below the rim to peak over the side towards the suddenly more imposing merchant vessel. 

Johann looked surprised for a moment, then expression softened. Walking over to the tiny boat, he knelt on one knee and ruffled Hiccup’s auburn mop of hair. 

“It’s all right and well, Master Hiccup. I have a small cage that I store onboard for this very reason, and I was able to lure that spiky lizard in with a bite of my lunch,” he soothed. Johann paused for a moment, as if considering. “I’ll tell you what. Come with me onto my ship to see the Terror, and I’ll show you that it isn’t in any position to hurt you, me or any of the good people of Berk.” 

Hiccup uttered a small gasp and sank lower into the boat. Johann frowned for a moment more, then his gaze lit up.

“You know, Master Hiccup, you were just telling me about how frightening those draconic masks were. This may be your opportunity to overcome that fear, without going out into a dragon battle.”

Hiccup thought about that for a moment. Normally, he spent dragon attacks in the forge, in the back room where he could draw and watch Gobber fix the villagers’ weapons and be safe. Lately, though, dragon attacks have grown more intense. Gobber had disappeared from the forge for several weeks, and when he came back he sported a rough wooden leg. He said it never bothered him, but Hiccup had noticed that the blacksmith was clumsier now, constantly off-balance and needing to sit down at times to rest when the wound became tender. If something happened in the forge, Hiccup needed to be brave enough to help him. 

“Okay.”

Johann smiled and offered him a hand. Trembling slightly, Hiccup took it, stumbling out of the boat and up to the ramp of Johann’s ship. He wavered for a moment at the base of the ramp, almost second-guessing himself, before clenching his loose hand into a small fist and walking up the incline onto the merchant vessel. 

Johann guided Hiccup to the trapdoor at the center of the ship. “I’ve placed my uninvited guest down here. I had a stone slab from one of my adventures to the stunning green coastlines of the dangerous Isles of…”

Hiccup stopped listening. His heart beat in his chest, sweaty hands curled into fists at his sides to hide his growing nerves. He thought of the burnt out houses after the raids, the singed beard and weary eyes his father constantly bore, the whispers of a four-winged evil when the adults thought he wasn’t listening. 

Then Hiccup thought of Astrid. When her family name was shamed for the failure of Fearless Finn Hofferson to stop the Frightmare, she put everything into training. She could wield swords, axes, and bludgeons before he’d even been allowed to touch a knife, and whenever they played she was always the warrior who led the other children to victory against the “dragons”. 

_If Astrid can train to face dragons head on and avenge her family name, then the least I can do is be brave enough to protect Gobber!_

Resolve hardened, Hiccup ducked into the dim cargo hold. For a couple of seconds all he saw were shadows. Then Johann lit a lamp, and the interior of the hold was thrown into sharp relief. Hiccup eyes were still adjusting to the light when he saw it. 

The Terror was smaller than he had imagined. When the other kids had described it as “the size of a wild cat”, he’d envisioned a ferocious panther-like beast, only slightly smaller than his father, with snaggle teeth protruding from its snarling jaw like a deep-ocean shark. The small, scaly creature that now hissed at him looked downright diminutive within the crate-sized cage in which it was imprisoned. Hiccup had a hard time associating the Terror with the masks he’d come to fear. It’s teeth didn’t even poke out of its mouth when it closed its jaws! Where were the serrated claws, and dripping venom, and razor sharp tail that the villagers had described in vivid detail over the campfires at night? 

“Uh, Johann? Are you _sure_ this is a Terrible Terror?” Hiccup asked. Johann chuckled. 

“I assure you, Master Hiccup, that this is the model for those dastardly masks. I dare not ask which you think is more frightening?” he replied with a grin. Hiccup edged closer to take a closer peek; the Terror actually backed away from him, baring teeth that would result in a smaller bite than most of Berk’s sheep. Despite himself, Hiccup smiled. Maybe dragons, or Terrors at least, weren’t so scary after all. 

“Hiccup!”

Footsteps echoed across the docks next to the ship, one heavy and purposeful, the other uneven and slightly stumbling. _Dad and Gobber!_ For a fraction of a moment, Hiccup thought he glimpsed Johann’s face flash with irritation, but the trader bent down to stuff some loose scrolls and maps under his tunic, and when he stood up again his countenance had resumed its jovial air. _I must’ve imagined it._

“Chief Stoick! Young Master Hiccup is with me below deck.” he called through the trapdoor. The footsteps paused for a second, then there was a clatter up the ramp and Chief Stoick the Vast appeared at the entrance to the cargo hold. 

“Hiccup! How long have you been down here? When I asked the other children, they said they hadn’t seen you all day!” he thundered. Hiccup bowed his head, ashamed that his father had needed to hunt him down. 

“Oh, don’t be too hard on the boy, Stoick.” Gobber huffed, coming up from behind his long-time friend. “Besides, there isn’t a safer place on this island than Johann’s ship.”

Johann beamed. “My humble thanks for such kind words. I apologize for unintentionally stealing your son away, Chief Stoick, but you may find that I have captured something of interest to your Dragon Training program.” 

Stoick’s eyes narrowed in curiosity. Lumbering down into the hold, he scooped Hiccup up in one musclebound arm and squinted into the corner Johann had gestured towards. 

“A Terror!”

“Aye, the second one I’ve found in my hold this season alone.”

Stoick ran a weary hand over his face. “They’re getting bolder. Terrors have always stayed closer to Helmeim’s Gate before, but their numbers must be growing if they’ve extended their hunting grounds as far as Berk.” 

Johann nodded sympathetically. “Indeed. Terrors have never been part of the raids before, but should they be given time to gain confidence, or discover your food stores and chicken coups…”

Stoick abruptly set Hiccup on the deck of the ship. Striding over to the cage, he glared down at the hapless Terror, who under his gaze shrank into the furthest corner. Hiccup couldn’t help but pity the poor dragon. 

Stoick hefted the cage up, making the Terror squawk and flap its wings in distress. “I’m calling a meeting with the Council. Gobber, keep an eye on Hiccup, and if you see the other children, send them home,” he ordered. Then he stormed off, his furry cape rasping against the edge of the trapdoor on his way out. 

“...Well, I suppose I should be off then,” Johann muttered glumly. “I have to get to Berserker Island in two days time, or young Dagur may claim my beard for his trophy collection.” 

Hiccup shuddered. He’d been in that position a few too many times-except instead of beards, Dagur liked to collect ragged shreds of his ceremonial tunics. 

“Right then!” Gobber exclaimed. “I supposed Hiccup and I will be getting off then! Always a pleasure to have you on Berk, Johann!”

“The pleasure is all mine, my good blacksmith,” Johann gushed, his face brightening once again. “I hope to come again quite soon, with a whole new variety of rare and hard-found treasures. If I have my way, I’ll be returning with an exquisite collection of blades and tools from the exotic lands beyond…”

As Johann escorted the pair from the hold, regaling Gobber with tales of a land fraught with strong metals, Hiccup spotted a glint coming from under a stack of spears. Discreetly edging over so the adults wouldn’t notice, he carefully leaned over and slid the object out from under the pile of weapons. 

It was a clump of the Terror’s scales. Six of them, loosely connected by a shred of flaky skin that tore slightly as Hiccup picked it up. The scales glinted dully in the evening sun. 

A hand on his shoulder startled him. “Looks like my uninvited guest left us a little something to remember it by,” Johann mused. “Personally I can't think of a use for those, but maybe you'd like to keep them as a badge of honor for facing your fears on this fine day?” He smiled down at Hiccup, who returned his grin. 

“Thank you, Trader Johann! I'll ask Gobber if he can help me make them into a badge. Or maybe a medal! Snotlout will be jealous; he's never gotten a medal made from dragon scales!” Hiccup chirped. 

“Well, that's not exactly what I meant…” Johann began, but Hiccup was already trotting down the ramp towards the impatiently waiting Gobber. As he ran, however, he turned around and waved. 

“Goodbye, Trader Johann! Come back soon!” Hiccup yelled. As he caught up to Gobber, the wind picked up Johann's cheerful reply. 

“Farewell, Master Hiccup! Don't you worry, I'll be back soon with more tales and adventures than you can even imagine!” 

_~In The Present_

_Almost done._

Hiccup stretched, muscles cramped from too many hours of pouring over the many bags and baskets that surrounded him. He'd spent all day scouring his hut for loose odds and ends to pack for their final journey home to Berk. The Edge had been an amazing experience, and the short time the Riders had spent there had greatly improved their skills and their trust in one another. 

“Hey Toothless? Should we go over to the twins hut to see if they swiped that missing extra tail fin?” he called up into the loft. 

No response. 

“Toothless? You're still up there, right?”

Another pause, then Hiccup jumped as the hut shook with a grating crash. 

“TOOTHLESS!”

Hiccup took the steps two at a time, scrambling up into the loft just in time for his best friend to jerk out from underneath his desk in a cloud of dust. The night fury's face was more gray than black before he sneezed, blowing more dust up into the air. 

Hiccup shook his head in disbelief. “Seriously, Bud? You really had me worried for a minute there…” his voice trailed off, and he crossed the room to crouch next to the fallen desk. 

Something was glinting in the dust where the desk had once sat. A small necklace, with a metallic rim and a braided leather cord that could be tied around the neck of a small child. As Hiccup picked it up, he ran a thumb over its tarnished surface, exposing six small Terror scales. 

Ears pricked, Toothless edged to stand next to Hiccup's knelt form. He sniffed the necklace cautiously, then sneezed again and emitted a throaty moan. Hiccup shook his head and reached over to scratch behind Toothless's ears, smiling morosely. 

“I know Toothless. But he's gone now. Still…” Hiccup paused, then took a deep breath. “I wish I knew what he was thinking then. How much Johann was pretending...and how much was genuine.” 

Hiccup might have continued sitting on the cold floor of his hut for a while yet, but at that moment there was a loud knock on the door. 

“Hiccup?” It was Astrid. “Fishlegs and Snotlout just finished making lunch. I know you didn't eat breakfast this morning, so you'd better come eat with us or I'll drag you up to the Clubhouse myself!” 

Despite himself, Hiccup grinned. “Coming, Milady!” He called, coming down the steps. 

Glanced once more at the small medal nestled in his palm, Hiccup delicately hung it on a nail overlooking a covered Maces and Talons board. Then, side by side with Toothless, he opened the door of his hut, greeted Astrid, and stepped out into the afternoon sunlight. 

The war was over, and the deception was foiled. 

_All was well._


End file.
